1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, an immersion system, an exposing method, and a device fabricating method.
2. Description of Related Art
As disclosed in PCT International Publication WO99/049504, and PCT International Publication WO2006/106907 (corresponding to European Patent Application, Publication No. 1,873,815), among exposure apparatuses used in photolithography, an immersion exposure apparatus is known that exposes a substrate with exposure light through a liquid.
With an immersion exposure apparatus, if a substrate is moved at high speed, then there is a possibility that it will become difficult to fill an optical path space of the exposure light between the substrate and an optical member of, for example, a projection optical system with a liquid in a desired state. In addition, if the substrate is moved at high speed, then there is a possibility that the liquid will leak or remain on the substrate. Therefore, there is a possibility that exposure failures will occur such as the generation of defects in the pattern that is formed on the substrate. As a result, there is a possibility that defective devices will be fabricated.
A purpose of some aspects of the invention is to provide an immersion exposure apparatus that can prevent exposure failures, and an exposing method. Another purpose is to provide an immersion system that prevents the liquid from leaking or remaining. Yet another purpose is to provide a device fabricating method that can prevent defective devices from being produced.